Wayward gator heads to new off-Cape home

The alligator found on Hiramar Road in Hyannis on Sunday was taken yesterday to a reptile rehabilitation facility in Taunton.

KAREN JEFFREY

HYANNIS — The alligator found on Hiramar Road Sunday was taken yesterday to a reptile rehabilitation facility in Taunton.

The 3-foot-long, 60-pound reptile appears to be in good condition, said Marla Isaac, who runs New England Reptile and Raptor Exhibits in Taunton.

Isaac operates a private business that brings reptiles and raptors to schools, private homes and businesses for educational purposes. She is licensed by the state to own and rehabilitate alligators, according to the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The alligator was found under a car Sunday on Hiramar Road in Hyannis. A resident of the neighborhood called 911 around 2:30 p.m. when he spotted the animal. The man — who did not give his name to police — also said that someone was poking the alligator.

Barnstable Natural Resource Officer Thomas Murray, who responded to the scene, said the 60-pound reptile is most likely an American alligator.

He said Massachusetts Environmental Police are trying to determine who owned the animal and will file any charges in the case.

Barnstable police Sunday said they had a few leads in the case.

Massachusetts has some of the most stringent laws in the country for wild and exotic pets, and it is illegal to own an alligator in the state.